Two players to watch

1 / 6

Editor's note: With offseason work across the league coming to an end, the focus shifts to the steamy summer workouts ahead. To get you fully primed for the preseason and beyond, Sporting News provides in-depth looks at all 32 teams leading into training camp. Today: Pittsburgh Steelers. Prediction: Second, AFC North. Up next: Cleveland Browns.

The Steelers appear to be more than a team in transition. After losing several starters this offseason, they have the look of a team in rebuilding mode.

But coach Mike Tomlin has a bold message for those questioning the decline of the Steelers.

“That’s March talk,” Tomlin says. “I’ll see you at stadiums in the fall.”

Tomlin was not dismissing what lies ahead for Pittsburgh in 2013. They lost three key starters in free agency — Mike Wallace, Rashard Mendenhall and Keenan Lewis — and released two others who were still under contract — veteran linebacker James Harrison and guard Willie Colon.

Tomlin, however, refuses to use the word rebuild. He’s not hiding from what happened in 2012, when the Steelers lost five games by three points — including to the Cowboys and Bengals in Weeks 15 and 16 — and failed to make the postseason for only the second time in his tenure.

“We weren’t good enough,” Tomlin says. “I think that good teams win close games. Teams that aren’t lose those games.”

Worilds, a second-round draft pick in 2010, replaces five-time Pro Bowler James Harrison at right outside linebacker and is being counted on to bring consistent pressure on the quarterback. Worilds has 10 sacks in 10 career starts and was second on the team with five sacks in limited playing time last season.

“I think it will be interesting to see how Brown responds without having Mike Wallace on the other side to divert some of the coverage from him. Antonio is a different type of player than Wallace. He is not going to take the top off the coverage like Wallace because he doesn’t have that pure, straight-line speed to race by corners and safeties. But he is definitely a more complete receiver because he can run all the underneath routes and out routes and turn nothing into something.

"He is much tougher to tackle after the catch than Wallace. If there is one thing he needs to work on, it’s getting off press coverage at the line. I think teams have seen they can bump him and get him out of his route. He’s just going to have to do a better job.”

INSIDE THE HEADSET

Tomlin has shown he is never afraid to take a gamble in a game, no matter where he is on the field. He likes to coach with “feel” and does a good job of gauging the pulse of a game. Tomlin is rarely—if ever—conservative. That goes for both sides of the ball.

“The toughest thing about playing the Steelers is that you know you are always going to be in for a tough, physical game. It seems like players come and go there, but their style always remains the same—they’re going to get after you; they’re going to hit you in the mouth. I think the challenge is getting your team to match that intensity.

"The other thing you know right away is you have to stop (Ben) Roethlisberger, and that’s tough because you don’t know sometimes what he’s going to do. Maybe sometimes he doesn’t know what he’s going to do. He’s probably the best in the league at extending the play, and he’s able to do that because he’s so big and strong and tough to bring down. I mean, just when you think you have him, he’s ducking tackles or shaking off linemen and throwing the ball down the field. That really makes it hard for a defense to stay disciplined.”

The offensive philosophy under Todd Haley, who took over as coordinator last season, is a lot different than what Bruce Arians endorsed, and the player most affected has been Ben Roethlisberger. Haley does not prefer the attacking, big-play style Roethlisberger used with Arians and instead likes ball-control passes in the middle of the field, with an emphasis on the run and short passes. It has been quite a transition for Roethlisberger, who must be more disciplined with the ball.

Quarterbacks: Roethlisberger was having one of his best seasons in 2012 until he injured his right shoulder, and that, combined with the fact he is 31, has led Haley to ask Roethlisberger to tweak his game and use his experience to make smarter decisions with the ball. He can no longer rely solely on the playground mentality of simply going out and making plays.

Roethlisberger threw bad interceptions that ended losses against the Cowboys and Bengals; those are prime examples of what he needs to avoid. But he’s still an elite quarterback—one with two Super Bowl rings—and his presence ensures the Steelers will be competitive.

The decision to sign Bruce Gradkowski, who played with Cleveland and Cincinnati, was based partly on his familiarity with the AFC North. Gradkowski, 30, has some productive years left. The team would like to get younger at the position, so it drafted Landry Jones in the fourth round to be the No. 3 quarterback. The addition spelled the end for veteran Charlie Batch, who had been the team’s backup since 2002. GRADE: A-

Running backs: The Steelers thought they needed a change in personnel to create a change in production, but that didn’t involve getting rid of Rashard Mendenhall, at least initially. Pittsburgh elected not to re-sign Mendenhall after a season in which he was suspended for one game and failed to show up for another because he had been deactivated. It was the second time Mendenhall had to be disciplined by Tomlin.

Mendenhall’s departure forced the Steelers to use a second-round pick on Le’Veon Bell, who will be given every chance to be the team’s feature back. For depth, they also added La’Rod Stephens-Howling in free agency. He helps make up for the loss of Chris Rainey, a fourth-round choice last season who was released because of repeated off-field incidents.

The top backups will be two players who accounted for three 100-yard rushing games last season: Isaac Redman and Jonathan Dwyer. Dwyer led the Steelers with 623 yards in 2012, their lowest leading rusher since Merril Hoge had 610 yards in 1991. Redman added 410 rushing yards on 3.7 yards per carry. Dwyer (5-11, 229 pounds) and Redman (6-0, 230) both have good size, but they are not quick enough to avoid tacklers and lack consistency. Neither is considered an every-down back, which is why the team drafted Bell. GRADE: C

Receivers: The Steelers were already thin at receiver before they lost Wallace, their top deep threat, so they drafted Markus Wheaton, a multipurpose receiver, in the third round and Justin Brown in the sixth round. Wheaton can play all three receiver positions and is good fit for Haley’s offense because he is valuable in the middle of the field.

The team re-signed veteran Plaxico Burress, who was brought in for the final four games of 2012. Burress is 36, and there are no guarantees he’ll be around for the start of the season.

Wallace’s departure also forced the Steelers to match the one-year, $2.5 million offer sheet Emmanuel Sanders got from New England. Sanders is projected to be the team’s No. 2 receiver behind Brown, but he has to show he’s worthy of the role.

It remains to be seen how the loss of Wallace will affect Brown, who was slowed by an ankle injury last season after signing a six-year, $42.5 million extension in training camp. Brown is slippery and capable of making big plays, but there is still some debate as to whether he’s a true No. 1. Defensive backs no longer have to worry about Wallace, so they can rotate coverage toward Brown, who has problems with press coverage.

For now, veteran Jerricho Cotchery is the No. 3 receiver, though he will eventually be replaced by Wheaton. Cotchery catches the ball in traffic, something Pittsburgh hasn’t had someone do since Hines Ward retired. GRADE: C

Line: The unit will have a different look in 2013, not just in personnel but perhaps in execution as well. Despite wanting to emphasize running the ball in 2012, the Steelers went the other way. Pittsburgh averaged 3.7 yards per carry after averaging 4.4 yards with basically the same personnel in 2011.

Haley and new offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr. want smaller, more athletic lineman, and they might try using more zone blocking schemes—a departure for the Steelers. They will have one of the youngest offensive lines in the league.

Marcus Gilbert, 25, who missed 12 games last season with an ankle ligament tear, will replace Max Starks at left tackle. Mike Adams, 23, last year's No. 2 pick who has problems in pass protection, is expected to start at right tackle. Adams was injured in a late-night stabbing in May and needed surgery, but he is expected to recover in time for training camp. If Adams isn't ready, Kelvin Beachum, last year's seventh-round pick, will step in.

Not much has changed under defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, who has the ability to mold a top-rated defense year after year. The Steelers led the league in pass defense last season despite a lack of pressure, not to mention interceptions, and ranked second against the run. Pittsburgh does it by not letting the ball get behind them and allowing the fewest big passing plays in the league. Pittsburgh surrendered just two of 40 yards or more last season.

Line: In a span of three years, the Steelers have used two first-round picks to bolster what they thought was an aging defensive line. They are still waiting for those picks — Ziggy Hood and Cameron Heyward — to make a significant impact on the defense.

The time for them to do so is now. Aaron Smith has departed, and nose tackle Casey Hampton is not expected to be re-signed. The lone holdover from the three-man front is Brett Keisel, who will turn 35 in September but is coming off one of his best seasons.

In the team’s defensive scheme, the linemen are asked to play a two-gap style in which they engage the guard or tackle and keep blockers off the linebackers. But they, especially Hood and Heyward, still need to be more disruptive this year. GRADE: C+

Linebackers: Going back to the 1970s, the Steelers have prided themselves on having one of the best linebacker units in the league. Not anymore.

Pittsburgh released five-time Pro Bowler and former NFL defensive player of the year James Harrison, LaMarr Woodley hasn’t been his old self for the past season and a half, and the Steelers still don’t have a replacement for James Farrior on the inside.

They are hoping to put some fear back into the unit with the addition of rookie Jarvis Jones, their No. 1 pick out of Georgia. He led the nation with 14.5 sacks last season. Jones will begin the season as the backup on the right side to Worilds, who will replace Harrison. But the coaches will work Jones into some sub packages to get him acclimated to the defense.

The only player who performed beyond expectations last season was Lawrence Timmons, who had the best season of his six-year career with 106 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions, including one for a touchdown. Timmons is only 27 and under contract for the next four years.

Veteran Larry Foote was re-signed for another year, only because last year’s third-round pick, Sean Spence, suffered a severe knee injury and is not expected to play this year. Foote is solid against the run, but at 6-1 and 239 pounds, he is undersized, and he doesn’t get off blocks as well as he used to.

The biggest question mark is Jason Worilds, a former second-round pick who steps in at right outside linebacker for Harrison. Worilds has 10 sacks in 10 career starts and was second on the team with five sacks in limited playing time last season. He needs to improve the pressure from the outside, something that has been missing most of the past two seasons. GRADE: B-

Secondary: The Steelers have led the league in pass defense the last two years, a testament to LeBeau’s schemes and the discipline of their defensive backs. Now, a position that once looked promising has questions. Keenan Lewis, who might have surpassed Ike Taylor as the team’s No. 1 corner, signed with the Saints. Cortez Allen, Lewis’ replacement, could develop into a star. Allen is long, lean and reacts well to the ball. Still, there will be a drop-off in talent, at least this season.

The Steelers brought back nickel back William Gay from Arizona to make up for the loss of Lewis, a sign the team has lost confidence in Curtis Brown, a third-round pick in 2011. They also drafted cornerback Terry Hawthorne in the fifth round, but he will need more time to develop.

There are bigger issues at safety. Ryan Clark, 33, enters the final season of his contract, and, while he played at a Pro Bowl level last season, he’s not getting younger. Troy Polamalu does not appear to be getting healthier, either. He missed nine games with a calf injury last season and has missed 22 total since 2009. This could be his last season in a Pittsburgh uniform.

That’s why the team traded into the fourth round to take Shamarko Thomas, a compact yet fast and powerful safety who will spend a year learning the defense. Thomas is only 5-9, but his 40-inch vertical jump makes up for his lack of height. Thomas bring immediate depth after the team lost both backup safeties, Will Allen and Ryan Mundy, in free agency. GRADE: B

New special teams coach Danny Smith’s biggest chore will be trying to correct the mistakes and penalties that dogged the team last season.

Penalties were a consistent theme early in the season, negating punt return TDs of 78 and 72 yards by Antonio Brown. Mistakes, like a blocked punt at Tennessee and Brown’s fumble on a punt return in Dallas, were turning points in losses.